"If you are a teacher, or an educator, or involved in school
administration and curriculum development, the book you hold in your
hands has the potential to transform your life, the lives of your
students, and the life of the school itself, as well as education in
America."--Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, from the Foreword
With attention spans waning and stress on the rise, many teachers are
looking for new ways to help students concentrate, learn, and thrive.
The Way of Mindful Education is a practical guide for cultivating
attention, compassion, and well-being not only in these students, but
also in teachers themselves. Packed with lesson plans, exercises, and
considerations for specific age groups and students with special needs,
this working manual demonstrates the real world application of
mindfulness practices in K-12 classrooms.
Part I, Why Mindful Education Matters, explains what mindfulness is, the
science behind its benefits for students and educators, and the
inspiring work that is already underway in the Mindful Education
movement.
In Part II, Begin with Yourself, we are reminded that in order to teach
mindfully, we need to be mindful. Here teachers will learn the when,
where, and how of mindfulness so they can effectively embody its
practices with their students. Mindfulness practices offer teachers
self-care and attention skills that prepare them to teach with greater
energy and mastery. Discover how simple exercises can help manage
stress, focus attention, develop compassion, and savor positive
experiences in everyday life.
Part III, Cultivating a Mindful Classroom, explores the qualities of a
mindful teacher, the ingredients of a mindful learning environment, and
helpful skills for appropriate, supportive work with cultural diversity,
student stress and trauma, and varying age groups and developmental
stages.
Finally, in Part IV, Mindful Education Curriculum, we learn eighteen
ready-to-use mindfulness lessons for use in schools. These practical
exercises, designed to foster skills like embodiment, attention,
heartfulness, and interconnectedness, can be readily adapted for any age
group and population, and the author draws from his extensive personal
experience to offer a wealth of tips for introducing them to students in
real-time.
Decades of research indicate the impressive benefits of mindfulness in
social, emotional, and cognitive development, and as an antidote to
emotional dysregulation, attention deficits, and social difficulties.
This book invites teachers, administrators, and anyone else involved in
education to take advantage of this vital tool and become purveyors of a
mindful, compassionate, ethical, and effective way of teaching.
